Telescopic airship.



l A. HAIDIN. TELESGOPIG AIRSHIP.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 24, 1910.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

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A. HAIDIN. TBLESGOPIC AIRSHIP. APPLIogTIoN FILED 00124, 1910.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

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TED STATES Par-ENT oEEroE.

ALEXANDER IEIAIDINJi OF -GARY.v INDIANA.,

mELEsoorIt nissan.

Specification of llletters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

. Application led October 24%, 1910. S-eriaLNo. 588.795.

Tndiana, -have invented certain new and use-w` ful Tmproyements in Telescopic Airships, of which -thefrollowing is a specilication.

My invention .relates to. improvements in telescopic air ships and particularly to ships of the dirigible balloon -classfor navigation of the air.

One of the objects fof my linvention is to provide a ship, -of the fclass" referred to, whereinthe lgas holding. portion is divisible into a plurality ofseparable, independent gas-holding receptacles.

Another object istoprovide, in a ship of this character, a centrally-lecated `passenger compartment, and Abelow ,the passenger com- 1' pairtment--a machinery4v compartment lfrom which each gas-holding-receptacle maybe controlled; the .propel-linglpower regulated; and the course of theA cra-ftdirected.'

Another object of my invention-is to provide means whereby the buoyant -hydrogen fm'aybe introducedinto any one orV all of' the* receptacles from the central compartment. l

Another object is to provide separate means for propelling the craftwhile-in water, and being used asa marine vessel, from that used to propel it while in. the air. Another object is to provide a steering means Ithat l`may be employed for directing the'course'of't-he ship wh'etherit be operatingas an aerial or a marine craft.

@therand further objects of my invention will) become.;readily apparent 1 to' persons skilledy in the art from a consideration of the specification taken in conjunctionwith the drawings, whereinp ll `igure`V l is 'a central Alongitudinal section of the ship; Fig. is an enlirged'fragmentary View showing one lof the separable gas receptacle 'gf'fFi-g. 3 fis a transverse section of thesame showing one ofthe bulk heads, man hole, and connecting rings.

ln all of the views, the same reference characters indicate similar parts. n

My ship consists generally of two ma]or parts, 5, the hull of a marine vessel, preferably made of aluminium or other llght buoyant metal, in which the gasometer, 6, composed of a number of separable gas re- Jtaining and holding receptacles, is to be placed ,and secured. The general relation of these parts lis such that the gasometer, prefits lower sideand ends surrounded by the vsimilarly shaped hull within which it is contained, so thatboth pointed ends of the gasometer are protected by the strong hull structure.- Thus, when the Vessel is in water, the gasometer -lies 'partly below 5 water lever. This arrangement makes for compactness and eiiciency, of a ship used for aerial and 'marine navigation. In the center of the craft, the receptacle is divided vertically by means of the partition or floor, 7, above which-isz the top compartment, 8, and below which is a machinery l0, for furnishing the propelling power.

1l is apump for 'pumping gas into the vvarious compartments through the pipes 12 and 13. Similar pipes 14 and-'15 communicate with therecep'tacles' and with' the chimlneyl, for the purpose of permitting the g escape ofgas from any one of the individual compartments. On the right hand side of the central chambers 8 and 9 are gas rel ceptacles, 17; 18,19, 20, 21, and 22. On the left hand side of central chambers 8 and 9 arethe receptacles 28, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28, which are substantial duplicates of the respective compartments on the right hand Iside. lValves permitting gas to be introduced into the respective` receptacles are findicatedfby `the same referencecharacters f that indicate I the respectivereceptacles,

trolling the valves. pass through Athe respec-A lt-ive receptacles andterminate in the engineers compartment 9, and -are'indicated by eating the respect-ive receptacles with the E exponent b. The arrangement'is such that any one of the valves a may be controlled from the engineers room independently of any other valve by means of the respective rods b through or by which the valve is operated.

It will be observed that the propeller 30 driven by the train of gears, 31, connected to a shaft 30', through the train of gears, connected tothe engine 10. This shaft'SO may pass through the various gas holding receptacles, as shown, and be properly packed to prevent leak, or it may be passed erablytapered at--each end to a point, has.

compartment 9, provided with an engine,

-f with the exponent a,? and -therod's fori-fison-` the same reference characters as that indiconnected at the rear end of the ship is.-

on the outside of the device as may be desired, or other means than that shown may be employed for rotating the propeller 30'.

Secured to thehull 5, at each end, is a frame, 31-31, supporting a stationary axle or frame 32. A similar bar 33, 33, has a swivel connection 311--34a with the bar 33.

Vheels 35 have rotary bearings on the bar 33, and are rotated. They are located immediately 4under the central median line of the airship. The wheels 35are provided with webs 36 on the opposite side of which areV j spokes 37, to provide strengthfor the webs.v

The spokes, 37 extend from the hub, 38, to the rim, 39, to give strength to the structure. A web or disk' 36 acts as a rudder for the ship Whether it is in the air or in the water.

A rod 40 is' pivotally connected to each of the Wheels, as at 41. A rod 42 extends vertically to a point 43, where the pilot is' located in the rear of the guard windows, 44. The fore and aft movement of the rod 42 will deflect the wheels and 35 in such manner as to change the' direction of travel of the ship just as the defiection of the rudder of an ordinary ship will change the direction of its course. l

Chains, 15-:4*, extend from the .engine 1'0 preferably upon the outside of the shaft, and are connected to the wheels 35--35a by means of 'sprocket Wheels, 46, so that when .thecraft is in the water these wheels 4 5 may l be rotated and serve to propel the ship by having a means of the spokes or blades, 37. A pair of wheels, 48, similar to the wheels 45 only somewhat larger are provided with blades, 49, only, as they are without the dividing 'web'or disk 36 of the small wheels. They threads, the other en of the receptacle .be-

.ing provided` with a coacting internally threaded ring, 53. Between the ring and the flange is a packing rin 54 to produce a gastight joint." The Ybulk ead at one end ofthereceptacle is connectedto the ring, 53, at the other end of the receptacle by suitable walls, 55 which may be made of aluminium, proper y prepared-canvas, or other light material.

Should canvas be used, a skeleton frame,

connecting the two connecting rings of each receptacle may be used to support the canvas but for sake of clearness of illustration, I have not included it in the drawings. The bulk head is provided with 'a man hole, 56, plates orcovers, 57, and a crab, 58. The plate is held in position against the surface of the man hole to provide a gas-tight joint by means of the bolt, 59, and the nut, 66, as

hydrogen gas may be stored in the 'usual in such structures. In the construction of my machines, the several receptacles are screwed together, and made substantially gas tight. The several pipes and rods are then passed through the receptacle, and are packed in the proper manner to prevent the leak of gas from one rece tacle to the other. If desired, the entire num er of rods may be passed through a single tube or other means than that shown may be employed for controlling the valve of the several receptacles from a central' point. After the device has been put together in the proper form it is ready to be inflated.

Hydrogen gas, for the purpose of inflating the several receptacles, may be made by any approved or convenient method in the central compartment, and pumped into the several receptacles through the pipes 12 and 13, from the central lower compartment by means of the pump 11, or, instead of making the gas, a lsuitable receptacle carrying the ower compartment, and by means of any variable pressure valve it may be let out into the pipes 12 and 13, and thereby passed to the respective receptacles, that are controlled by the respective inlet valves from the central compartment. In this event, the `pum will not necessarily be required. The metho of procuring the gas is not a part of my in vention. I do not, therefore, deem it neces,- sary to describe specially any method of making it.

When it is desired to start the cra'ft from the ground for an aerial trip, the Wheels., 48, are preferably rotated, and the propeller 30 is similarly rotated for the purpose of giving the craft a forward movement upon the ground, if the receptacles have not been suciently filled with gas to 've the suflicient buoyancy of the craft to lift the ship from the ground and sustain it against the effect of gravity. The pro e1ler'30 is the means by which it is prope ed when in the air. The course of lateral direction may be readily changed by manipulation of the wheels 35 upon their respective bearings, just as it would be changed if an ordinary rudder were employed or the purpose its altitude may be varied by controllmg the valves of the receptacles to permit escape of gas or to admit more gas.

Should the ship be placed upon the surface of the water, the motor ower connected to the propeller 30 should e disconnected and connected to the wheels 48 and 35, which are adapted to be rotated at a much slower relative speed than the ropeller 30. By this means, the vessel will Ee pro elled through the water and may be de ected from a straight course by means of the rudder wheels 35, just 'as they govern its course when in the air.

While I have herein described a single embodiment of my invention for the purpose of proper disclosure, it is apparent to.

those skilled in the art that many changes may be made within the scope of the claims, Without departing from the spirit4 of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a ship of the character described, the combination with the source of power and air and water propelling means, of a gasometer providing a central portion of relatively large diameter and end portions tapering from the central portion to a point, said gasometer adapted to raise said ship in air, and a ship hull of shape similar to that of the gasometer to surround the lower side and pointed ends of the latter, said hull giving support to vsaid source of power and propelling means.

2. In an air ship, a gas holding structure divisible into a plurality of gas receptacles, each said receptacle having a bulk head provided with a man hole and man-hole closure, and an internally screw-threaded flange at one end, and an externally screw-threaded ring on the'other end.

'3. In a ship of the character described, the combination of a long narrow gasometer having tapering ends, a similarly shaped protecting hull adapted to support the ship in water and surrounding the lower side and pointed ends of said gasometer in contact with the surface thereof, a source of power, andcdriving means for propelling said ship in air and -water respectively having' independent connections with said source of power.

4. In a ship of the character. described, a i

bulk head having a screw-threaded portion,

a ring having screw-threads for co-action with the bulkhead of the adjacent recept-a cle, and a gas tight covering; and a hull of shape corresponding with that of the gasometer whereby said ship hull aords protection for the gasometer, driving means, ntlll a source of power supported by said In testimony whereof I hereunto set myliand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER HAIDIN. In the presence of- MARY F. ALLEN, W. LINN ALLEN. 

